Montana Business Name Search

Before you form a limited liability company (LLC), register a trade name, or start a corporation, you’ll need to complete a business name search with the Montana Business Search tool to see if your name is unique.

In our Montana Business Name Search guide, we’ll show you exactly how to check LLC name availability in Montana.

How to Check if Your Montana LLC Name Is Available

Checking if your desired LLC name is available involves a few key steps, such as ensuring your business name follows state requirements and performing a domain name and state search. These are the steps you need to take to determine if your business name is available in Montana. 

1. Follow LLC Naming Rules

Before you perform an LLC name search, you need to make sure your business name follows the state’s business name requirements. 

Some key guidelines for Montana LLC names include:

• Your name must include the phrase “Limited Liability Company” or “Limited Company” or one of their abbreviations (e.g., “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “LC,” or “L.C.”). The word “limited” may be abbreviated as “ltd.” and the word “company” may be abbreviated as “co.”
• Your name must be distinguishable from any existing business in the state. This includes Montana reserved names. 

Keep an eye out for restricted words. These words, such as “FBI” or “Treasury,” are often restricted to keep your LLC from sounding like an official institution.

Montana also has the following restrictions for LLC names:

• Your name can’t include identifiers (e.g., “Limited Partnership,” “Inc.,” “Corp.”) that imply the company is anything other than an LLC.

For more information, check out Montana’s official state statutes.

Distinguishability

It’s important that your name be distinguishable from all other business names. In Montana, a distinguishable name is one that’s substantively different from all other existing or reserved business names in the state.

The following differences make a name distinguishable in Montana:

• Different keywords (Note: A key word is defined as any word that isn’t an article, conjunction, preposition, or business type identifier.)
• A different order of keywords
• Use of geographic designations
• Phonetic similarities
• Abbreviations
• Different spellings of proper names
• Unique or improper spellings

The following differences do NOT make a name distinguishable in Montana:

• Punctuation
• Special characters
• Articles
• Business structure identifiers
• Substitution of numerals for spelled out numbers
• Letter case
• Internet domain suffixes
• Contractions
• Variations of word endings
• Adding “s” to make a word plural or possessive
• Different spacing

Failure to use a distinguishable name could result in the rejection of your formation filing.

2. Conduct a State Name Search

The first search you need to complete is a state business name search. This will ensure your chosen business name isn’t already in use by an existing business. You can check your business name availability by using the Montana Business Search online database.

3. Check Available Domain Names

When choosing a business name you’ll need to find out whether or not a good web domain name is available. Having a URL that clearly matches your business name is important. This small step can make a big difference in how prospective customers find your business.

The best way to determine if your desired URL is available is to search for it using your preferred domain registry, such as GoDaddy.

What if my LLC name is already taken? Our free AI-powered LLC name generator will give you thousands of new ideas.

4. Reserve Your LLC Name

You may reserve your LLC name in Montana for up to 120 days before you officially register it with the state. This prevents other businesses from registering your name until you have the opportunity to register it yourself. 

You can file a name reservation online with the Montana Secretary of State. The filing fee is $10.

5. Conduct a Trademark or Service Mark Search

A careful trademark search helps to mitigate legal complications from the use of your chosen business name. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website offers a powerful tool to check for existing trademarks that might conflict with your chosen business name or logo. Keep in mind that state-level LLC name approval isn’t a substitute for federal trademark clearance. For expert assistance, explore our curated list of trademark services for startups.

6. Form Your Montana LLC 

Once you verify your business name’s availability, the next step is to make it official by forming your business. Montana requires you to form an LLC by submitting Articles of Organization to the Secretary of State. This process creates your company’s legal foundation by registering your business with the state. 

Your Articles of Organization must include the LLC’s name, principal place of business address, registered agent details, and if the LLC will have managers. Montana also requires you to provide the name and address of each organizer, adding a personal element to the formation process.

Montana LLC Name Search FAQ

Montana Business Resources